The present invention generally relates to apparatus for cleaning floor surfaces, particularly to floor surface cleaning apparatus which applies cleaning solution to the floor surface and then vacuums the soiled cleaning solution from the floor surface, more particularly to carpet extractors, and specifically to carpet extractors having the ability to do both restorative cleaning and maintenance cleaning of carpeted surfaces.
The most common method of cleaning carpeted surfaces is with a carpet extractor. These machines consist of a clean solution tank with some means to apply solution to the floor surface, an agitation means for cleaning the floor surface, a dirty solution tank, and a vacuum means to pick the dirty solution off the floor surface after it is agitated. The tanks and systems performing these operations are usually attached to and carried by some type of chassis, which also may have provisions for a power source, wheels, and a means to transport the machine.
There are two types of carpet extraction, restorative and maintenance. Restorative cleaning is a deep cleaning process that is performed to remove soil and stains that normal dry vacuuming can not. Restorative cleaning requires a relatively high volume of solution to wash and flush soil and stains from deep within the carpeted surface. One of the negatives of restorative cleaning is the amount of cleaning solution that is retained within the carpet fibers and backing when the process is completed. Until the retained solution evaporates from the surface, the carpeted surface typically is not used, as soil that comes in contact with the carpeted surface while it is damp tends to stick to the surface.
Maintenance cleaning involves a cleaning of the upper exterior of the carpeted surface only. Maintenance cleaning requires a relatively low volume of solution resulting in less residual solution left in the carpeted surface and a shorter dry time.
Prior to the present invention, carpet extractors have been set up to do either maintenance cleaning or restorative cleaning. Since the solution typically is dispensed at a fixed rate, the only way to vary the amount of solution applied to a given area of carpeted surface was by varying the speed of the machine.
Thus, a need exists for floor surface cleaning apparatus which is selectively operative in one of two cleaning modes, and in the preferred form, restorative and maintenance carpet extraction.
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of floor surface cleaning apparatus and methods by providing, in the preferred form, the selection of dispensing of clean solution to a carpeted surface between high and low solution flow rates, with the carpeted surface with the dispensed clean solution being agitated, and then the solution is picked up off the carpeted surface after the carpeted surface has been agitated. The working speed of these operations is also selected between a slow working speed and a fast working speed. Thus, the carpeted surface can be restorative or maintenance cleaned depending upon the selection of the high and low solution flow rates and the slow and fast working speeds.
In preferred aspects, the flow rate selection is accomplished by valving flow from a constant rate pump between first and second dispensing lines having flow rated nozzles. Further, the clean solution as dispensed upon the carpeted surface at the high solution flow rate and upon the agitator at the low solution flow rate in the preferred form.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods for carpeted surfaces.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods operative in either restorative and maintenance cleaning modes.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods providing selection between high and low solution dispensing rates.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods providing selection between where the clean solution is dispensed.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods providing selection between slow and fast working speeds.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such novel surface cleaning apparatus and methods minimizing costs and complexities and maximizing cleaning choices.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.